Princess Cruises is bringing back a much-loved set of itineraries that it hasn't offered in years.
23.04.2024 - 09:05 / skift.com / prince Harry / Dennis Schaal / Peter Kern
For more than a decade, travel companies have been saying sustainability would gain in importance – Tripadvisor said the “the green travel trend is gaining momentum” back in 2012.
There’s no question travelers say they want sustainable options. But, as Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern said last September at the Skift Global Forum, travelers have yet to change their trip patterns.
A global online survey of 31,000 travelers in 34 countries and territories that Booking.com revealed Monday is consistent with Kern’s assessment.
In the survey, some 83% of traveler respondents indicated that making sustainable travel choices was important to them.
However, Booking.com uncovered a counter-trend. “New insights show a sense of weariness could be emerging globally, fueled by the ongoing challenges that travelers experience to make more sustainable travel choices,” Booking.com said.
In fact, 45% said sustainable travel choices are important but not an overriding concern when planning or booking a trip. Indeed, 28% globally responded that they are weary of hearing about climate change. That sentiment was even higher (32%) among U.S respondents.
Some 33% of travelers said they thought climate change damage had already taken place, and that their individual travel choices would not make much of a difference.
Some 44% of those surveyed globally said governments would make the most difference – not individual travelers – and 43% thought it would be travel companies.
To qualify for the survey, individuals had to be at least 18 years old and involved as a decision maker in their trips. They had to have traveled at least once in the previous 12 months, and planned to travel again in 2024. The survey took the sentiment of travelers across 34 countries and territories in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, including China.
These findings leave travel companies a tough choice: Should the invest in sustainability if it doesn’t lead to more sales?
We posed that question to a spokesperson for Travalyst, the not-for-profit organization founded by Prince Harry, which conducted its annual meeting last week in France. Coalition members include Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Mastercard, Sabre, Skyscanner, Travelport, Trip.com Group, Tripadvisor and Visa.
The spokesperson said part of Travalyst’s mission is to encourage consumers to make better travel choices from an environmental perspective.
“Travalyst is on a journey to changing behaviour and that all starts with clear, consistent and credible information which is accessible at scale,” the spokesperson said.
Much of the discussion centered around how the travel industry needs to offer more sustainable choices, the spokesperson said, adding that
Princess Cruises is bringing back a much-loved set of itineraries that it hasn't offered in years.
Experts shone a spotlight on the Middle East’s travel investment ecosystem at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, which concludes today, Thursday 9 May at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) until Thursday 9 May. Panellists speaking during the exhibition’s entrepreneurship summit said levels of industry funding are growing in the region but that more needs to be done to support travel startups. The Middle East’s contribution to global travel revenues currently stands at approximately 5%, which is comparable to the proportion of international startup funding it is attracting, according to data from McKinsey & Company. While levels of investment have increased significantly in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic, speakers noted that funding for regional travel entrepreneurs is growing from a relatively low base.
Airbnb execs have used the phrase “expanding beyond the core” to mean launching new products and services for guests and hosts, and also their hope to lift growth beyond the company’s main five markets: The U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and France.
In an enlightening session on “How To Build Influence with Gen Z in Just 30 Seconds”, Marc-Antoine Simon, Industry Manager, Travel and Tourism – MENA, TikTok, shared insights on the latest trends in community-led marketing, demonstrating how brief yet powerful content can significantly influence travel decisions.
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